Knockdown stand construction



April 23, 1957 e. GONDER 2,789,873

KNOCKDOWN STAND CQNSTRUCTION Filed March 10, 1955 ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,789,873 v KNOCKDOWN STAND CONSTRUCTION Lawton G. Gonder, Zanesville, Ohio Application March 10,1955, SerialNo. 493,456

1 Claim. (Cl. MI --79) This inventionrelates topedestal-mounted stands, such as tables, trays and other similar product-supporting and receiving structures, the leading object of the invention being to provide an improved stand construction of this character wherein is embodied separable pedestal and tray sections which are so'formed that when separated thesame enable the stand to be compactly assembled for shipment and storage purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand of this character wherein the tray'sectio'n thereof is formed with; a. centrally disposed polygonal opening having-inwardly and upwardly sloping walls formed with angular corners, and wherein the associated pedestal section of the stand comprises a pyramidal body composed of spaced upwardly converging legs which, when the pedestal is extended for use, engage the corners of the tray opening to support the tray section in a removably seated position on the pedestal section.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knockdown stand construction of this kind wherein the pedestal section thereof is composed of a plurality of rod members, each of said members embodying upwardly converging leg-forming lengths which terminate at their upper ends in unitary cross webs and at their lower ends in out-turned foot-forming extensions, and wherein means are provided for flexibly joining the cross webs of said members in providing for relative movement between the same, whereby when said members are set up for use, the same are disposed in a substantially pyramidal order adapted for the reception of an associated tray section and when collapsed to be disposed in fiat side by side relation adapted for compact storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stand of this character which is adapted for use, among others, as a bird bath, and wherein the stand includes a one piece molded tray section having a centrally disposed upstanding wall defining a multi-sided opening, and wherein said opening is formed for the removable reception of a pyramidal pedestal frame, the latter having tapered side members arranged for engagement with the corners of the opening in the tray section to retain the latter in a supported position on the pedestal frame.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a supporting stand formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the stand;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view disclosing the pedestalforming members employed in connection with the stand of the present invention, and showing said members in their collapsed positions;

Fig. 4 is a plan view disclosing said pedestal members in full lines in their extended operative positions and in broken lines in a partially collapsed position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view disclosing a modified form of the present invention;

ter' being composed'of' twosets of rod-like-vvire legs-5= and 6. These legs'r-at their lower endsare formed withz outturnedfoot extensions 7 andat th'eiru'pper ends with. horizontally arranged" crosswebs- 8. These cross webs are foldably united with each other by means-of a connecting ring 9 or its equivalent, the ringbeingsdformed as to permit relative rotation: between the sets of -legs through substantially degrees, as well as limit rotationalsliding: movement between the cross webs. legs 5 and dare unsupported by cross-members throughout theirlengths, as: here shown.

The pedestal construction so formed cooperates: in: this instance with a lower relatively shallow tray'or receptacle 10-havinga central polygonal, for example, square open ing 11' through which the intermediate portions of the legs 5 and 6=ex-tend-v when the pedestal section-is inits open or expanded condition, with the legs of the pedestal section held insuch-position againstcollapsing. movement. Ifdesired', the stand may further include an upper, rela-- tively shallow receptacle or nay section 12, which. like the lower section 10;.n1ay1be formed to comprise a molded one piece body of ceramic or other suitable composition. Both tray sections 10 and 12 are formed with upstanding bosses 13 providing square openings shown at 11 and 14. These openings, as indicated in Fig. 2, include inwardly and upwardly inclined wall surfaces, the corners formed by these surfaces constituting sockets for receiving the legs 5 and 6 of the pedestal frame or section.

Due to the tapered configuration of the legs when the pedestal section is assembled and their direct contact with the square or multi-angular socket-forming corner walls of the tray openings, the legs of the pedestal section are positively maintained in their extended positions and prevented from turning to the extent indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4. As a result of the tapered construction of the pedestal legs and the Walls of the openings 11 and 14, the tray sections 10 and 12 are positively seated in a secure manner on the pedestal section. In this instance, the tray section 10 is disposed below the upper tray section 12, and the spacing between said sections is governed by the proportions of the openings 11 and 14, the opening 11 possessing greater dimensions than the opening 14, and consequently, the tray section 10 is disposed intermediate of the height of the pedestal section, whereas the tray section 12 is disposed when operatively mounted at the top of said pedestal section. This construction eliminates the necessity for using cross bracing in the legs of the pedestal section. Another advantage of the construction is its knockdown formation, whereby the same may be easily packaged and transported in its knocked down condition and yet assembled with facility to provide a strong, rigid and attractive construction.

While the stand is adapted for many uses, I have particularly designed the same for use as a bird bath. In

rectangular in configuration, as in the previously de-.,

scribed form, is of a triangular formation. In association with such a triangular opening in the tray section,

Patented Apr; 23,; 1.957

The

the pedestal is of tripod formation. In this latter construction, two of the legs, indicated at 22, may be triangularly formed and united at their upper ends by a V-shaped cross web 23. The third leg 24 may be pivoted as at 25 to an intermediate portion of the cross web 23, so that when not in active use, the leg 24 maybe folded to lie adjacent to one or the other of the legs 22.

In the construction disclosed in Fig. 6, the central opening 26 of the tray member 27, and which is employed for the reception of the pedestal legs and 6, is substantially circular in its configuration. Such a circular opening has its wall formed with circumferentially spaced depressed regions providing sockets 28 in which the legs of the pedestal are received for the support of the tray member deposited thereon.

The construction of my improved stand is thus simple, sturdy and economical and may be readily formed to present an attractive appearance. The collapsible features of the construction enable the stand to be readily packaged in a compact manner convenient in the storage and shipment thereof.

While I have described the same in certain of its pre ferred embodiments, nevertheless, it will be understood that the construction is subject to certain modification falling within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

Stand construction comprising: a pedestal section composed of a plurality of leg-forming members; each of said members being composed of a length of a metallic rod providing a cross web at the top thereof, each web terminating in relatively downwardly and outwardly progressively diverging side legs; means uniting the cross webs of said members to provide for relative movement therebetween in adjusting the leg members between active positions of extension in which the leg members are radially spaced and inactive positions of collapse in which the members are disposed in side by side relative order; and a separable tray section adapted for non-rotating supported placement on said pedestal section when the leg members of the latter are actively extended, said tray section including a centrally disposed opening bounded by relatively angular corner-forming walls, the corners of said walls receiving the downwardly diverging side legs of the pedestal members to maintain the tray member in a seated position thereon and for simultaneously holding said leg members against rotational movement when in their active positions of extension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,182 Peck et a1. Feb. 19, 1889 549,997 v Dibble Nov. 19, 1895 1,718,015 Weidner June 18, 1929 2,107,010 McDonald Feb. 1, 1938 2,507,951 Barnes May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 393,988 'France Jan. 11, 1909 

